"Fortunately this is similar to DFTD, and the procedures in place to deal with facial tumour disease will be used to investigate this new cancer," he said.

Researchers said they were also hopeful that a vaccine being tested for DFTD could be modified to protect against the new cancer type.

They are trialling the vaccine on healthy devils released into the wild earlier this year.

Professor Woods said the new cancer had different cells and genes, but early tests suggested the vaccine could be effective.

"They are similar, so one vaccine might protect against both," he said.

"Vaccine research will not be affected, as the new cancer can be incorporated into the vaccine."

He said more research needed to be done to better understand the differences between the two types of cancer and the potential spread of the second form.

International help to identify new disease

Animal Health Laboratories at Tasmania's Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment were also involved in investigating the chromosomal differences.

It makes us wonder whether transmissible cancers may not be as rare in nature as we previously thought.

Dr Elizabeth Murchison University of Cambridge

But it was genetic analysis performed at the UK's University of Cambridge that confirmed the second form of cancer was also affecting Tasmanian devils.

Dr Elizabeth Murchison from the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge said until now, the emergence of new transmissible cancers in nature was believed to be extremely rare.

"It makes us wonder whether transmissible cancers may not be as rare in nature as we previously thought," she said.

"Alternatively, perhaps Tasmanian devils are particularly vulnerable to the emergence of transmissible cancers."

Researchers will begin referring to the original devil facial tumour disease as DFT1, and the new, second cancer as DFT2.

Devil program plans no strategy changes

The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program intends to maintain its current protection strategy.

Program director Howel Williams said the information so far suggested the identification of a second cancer did not alter the effectiveness of measures already in place.

"The measures we have put in place with an insurance population, and work towards isolation of wild populations and wild releases, has all been developed in response to a transmissible cancer," he said.

"Because of the genetically diverse insurance population we have established that are housed in a number of different environments, and at a range of different locations, the species remains secure."